Count Me In

Welcome to Count Me In with Della and Deanna. Today we feature an exciting conversation with Susan D”Agostino, a writer and mathematician who recently authored How to Free Your Inner Mathematician:Notes on Mathematics and Life and who currently serves as the technology reporter for Inside Higher Ed.. Susan earned her undergraduate degree in anthropology from Bard College, a masters in science writing from Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD in mathematics from Dartmouth College. In this conversation, you will hear about the preschool experience that taught her to stand up for herself, her unusual path to mathematics, her book that has only curiosity as a prerequisite, her secret for taking on the next challenge, and why every mathematical proof is a story. So, please join us as we talk with Susan.

Welcome to Count Me In with Della and Deanna. Today we feature an energizing conversation with Tara Holm, Professor and chair of mathematics at Cornell University. Tara grew up in Pennsylvania and earned her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College and her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her work in symplectic geometry and its connections with other fields has taken her to the Clay Mathematics Institute as a Liftoff Mathematician, to the University of California Berkely as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow and Visting Asst Prof, to Oxford University as a Simons Fellow, and to the Institute for Advanced Study as a von Neumann Fellow. In this conversation, you will hear about her encouraging and heroic high school teacher who created opportunities for her to learn Calc II and multi-variable calculus, her work on the Boards and Councils of various organizations in mathematics, her tips for sustaining a research program while serving as chair of a vibrant department, and her observation that “someone, somewhere in the world is doing something interesting in mathematics in their classroom.” Tara’s energy for mathematics is infectious and you will leave the podcast ready to take your next step in the discipline, no matter where you are in your journey. So, please join us as we talk with Tara.

Welcome to Count Me In with Della and Deanna. Today we feature an exciting conversation with Dr. Ranthony Edmonds, an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Mathematics at The Ohio State University. Ranthony earned her undergraduate degrees in mathematics and English from the University of Kentucky, her masters degree in mathematics from Eastern Kentucky university, and her PhD in mathematics from the University of Iowa in 2018. Her broad research interests include commutative ring theory, applied algebraic topology, data science, and math education. After earning her PhD, Ranthony joined the faculty at Ohio State University as a Ross Assistant Professor, she then segued to a Postdoctoral Research position, and, most recently she was awarded an NSF Postroctoral research appointment. She helps lead the “Hidden Figures Revealed” project which explores the black mathematicians who graduated from the Ohio State University. She also currently serves as an Associate Editor at the American Mathematical Monthly. In this vibrant conversation, you will learn about the importance of the environments where we learn mathematics, the challenges of being “the only one” in a particular space, the importance of meetings and conferences, , the value of seeing people who look like you, and the significance of a single moment. Ranthony’s love for mathematics and her ongoing commitment to making it available to any one, will inspire and encourage you. So, please join us as we talk with Ranthony.

Welcome to Season III of Count Me In with Della and Deanna. We’re excited for you to join us as we explore the lives of mathematicians to reveal the humanity of our discipline and broaden our understanding of what it means to be a mathematician. We’ll talk to delightful mathematicians with fascinating stories, about family and home life, and about the places they enjoy. We will learn tips from a mathematician who became a college president, and a mathematician who devoted his life to advancing the next generation. We will gain insights about the exciting work of colleagues. We will learn about the usual and unusual items mathematicians keep on their desks. And of course we’ll hear about their thoughts on mathematics. We’ll talk about starring in elementary school plays, glassblowing lessons, deejaying, walking through airports, square dancing, and a collection of plants that have names. Please join us for these conversations with colleagues that will inspire you as you learn about shared experiences of challenge and support, of doubt and devotion, and of isolation and community. Listen to Count Me In with Della and Deanna on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or mathvalues.org. New episodes are released every Monday, beginning in September.

Today we feature an exciting conversation with Dr. Mary Gray, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at American University in Washington DC. Dr. Gray earned her PHD in mathematics from the University of Kansas and her JD from the Washington College of Law at American University. As a statistician and lawyer, Dr. Gray’s areas of research focus on applications of statistics to human rights, economic equity and education. She is the founder of the Association for Women in Mathematics, a fellow of the American Statistical Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Mathematics Mentoring. She has authored two books and over eighty articles. In this conversation, you will learn about the power of an effective undergraduate advisor, about recognizing and caring for critical issues long before they gain national attention, about working with others to effect change, and about how a gift of gratitude from a student led to an extensive collection of owls.

Today we feature the second installment of our two-part conversation with the mathematician and musician, Dr. Eugenia Cheng, a Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, a concert pianist, and the author of several books including How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the mathematics of Mathematics, The art of logic: How to make sense in a world that doesn’t, and x + y: A mathematician’s manifesto for rethinking gender. Eugenia was born in the UK, earned three degrees from Cambridge including a PhD in category theory, and now lives in Chicago where she is dedicated to bringing mathematics to a wider audience. In this deeply personal conversation, we talk about the importance of doing things for other people, of the formative experiences of childhood, and of unexpected life experiences that shape us.

Today we feature a delightful conversation with Ben Orlin, author of Math with Bad Drawings: Illuminating the Ideas That Shape Our Reality, Change Is the Only Constant: The Wisdom of Calculus in a Madcap World, and, as of April 2022, Math Games with Bad Drawings: 75 1/4 Simple, Challenging, Go-Anywhere Games—And Why They Matter. Ben grew up in Massachusetts, attended Yale as an undergraduate, and, as he puts it, has taught mathematics to every age between 12 and 18. He finds teaching an appealing career and is particularly interested in obstacles that keep people away from mathematics and how students experience failure in the discipline. In this conversation, you will hear about Ben’s teaching experiences in America and England, about how he started his wildly successful blog “math with bad drawings,” about his rhythm for writing, and about how he protects his sleep.

Join Della Dumbaugh and Deanna Haunsperger this fall for Season 2 of Count Me In with Della and Deanna. Listen to interesting conversations with mathematicians about their personal stories of growing up. These conversations will give you insights into the many paths people take to find their way to a career in mathematics and the many people who help them along the way. You can listen to colleagues talk about moments when they felt like they were part of a community—and moments they struggled to feel like they belong. You will laugh out loud when you hear the funny items colleagues keep on their desks and jump to your feet when you hear their go-to energizing songs. Please join us for six Mondays, beginning October 24.

Today we feature a delightful conversation with Lloyd Douglas, a mathematician who spent the vast majority of his career outside of academics. Lloyd grew up in Brooklyn, New York where he attended a high school focused on Engineering that had, as you will learn in the conversation, a really distinctive mascot. He earned his undergraduate degree at the City University of New York and his Master’s degree at Miami University in Ohio. Lloyd took his first job with the Navy where he worked on simulation and computer programming for submarines and torpedoes. Eventually, he found his way to the National Science Foundation where, among other positions, he served as a program officer and supported many programs that went on to make a difference in the lives of students, including various REU’s, the Carleton Summer Math Program, and the EDGE program. This conversation with Lloyd highlights excellence as a foundation for success in life, the importance of a teacher recognizing and identifying talent in a student, and an interesting perspective on organization. So, please join us as we talk with Lloyd.

Today we feature a lively and thought provoking conversation with Dr. Susan Jane Colley, the Andrew and Pauline Delaney Professor of Mathematics at Oberlin College and Editor-in-Chief of the American Mathematical Monthly, the most widely read mathematics journal in the world. Susan grew up in NYC, in Manhattan, and attended a K-12 all-girls school. She earned her undergraduate and Ph.D. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, otherwise known as MIT, in the Boston area. Her research is in enumerative geometry. She has spent her entire career on the faculty at Oberlin College and in 2017, she became the first woman to serve as editor of the American Mathematical Monthly. I (this is Della speaking) have learned a great deal from her as I prepare to succeed her in this role. This conversation with Susan underscores the ongoing influence of a strong educational beginning, the importance of effective communication, and the value of daily, intentional efforts to recharge and reset. And, if you love cats, especially if you love cats with mathematical names and nicknames, you will really enjoy this conversation. So, please join us as we talk with Susan.

If you want to rethink your classroom in exciting and innovative ways, this conversation is for you. Today we feature a motivating conversation with Erica Winterer, a PhD candidate in STEM education at the University of Texas Austin where she is working under the direction of Yuri Treisman. She earned her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and then taught for two years in the Teach for America program and two additional years at the high school level in New Orleans. Erica calls attention to the importance of parents who model a strong work ethic, the power of regularly reflecting on and talking about teaching, and her hopes for students in her classroom that extend far beyond the content. And, a little bit of a spoiler alert, she also sneaks in some thoughts about adopting a 7-year-old daughter while finishing her dissertation. So, please join us as we talk with Erica Winterer.

If you have ever felt challenged or discouraged, this upcoming conversation is for you. Today we feature an inspirational and breathtakingly honest conversation with Dr. Zerotti Woods, a mathematician in the applied physics laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. Zerotti earned his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and his PhD in mathematics in 2019 from the University of Georgia. In this encouraging conversation, Zerotti talks about the important insights he gained from growing up in inner city Atlanta, the critical role of mentors in advancing individuals, and the power of a mother and a mother’s voice. Please join us as we talk with Dr. Zerotti Woods. JHU website: https://ep.jhu.edu/faculty/zerotti-woods/ Mathematically Gifted and Black website: https://mathematicallygiftedandblack.com/honorees/zerotti-woods/